Newbie

[oneteaspoon]

Hello

My name is Lani and I have a 100L tank with a ghost knife (I'll be getting a larger tank in a year or so when he gets bigger) and a bristle nose cat fish.

Knifey (as the ghost knife is called) is quiet and hides near the filter or under a tree log ornament. I havnt seen him eat but I assume he is eating as he is swimming around when the lights go out.

My bristle nose cat fish (known as sucki, original names I know) has recently been hiding alot under the filter. I did some tests and with ammonia, nitrite & nitrate all at 0 I found my pH to be close to 8. I'm gradually trying to lower it, not to stress out the fish. Tonight I plan to feed them some frozen blood worm for the first time.

Once I get the pH down a little I will start to slowly introduce some more fish

[Retired_AF]

Welcoome to AA, Lani! You will find a lot of good info here as well as a lot of people eager and willing to offer advice.

[oneteaspoon]

Thanks. I'm very excited, this is my 2nd attempt at an aquarium. My last 35L one got raided with ammonia and all my gold fish died, I later found out I had way too many fish in the tank. Now I'm doing it with more knowledge and I'm asking questions woth anything I am unsure about.

Good news, an hour after I added pH down into the tank my bristle nose catfish has come out from under the filter and is swimming around the gravel and looks heaps happier

Question regarding feeding the frozen blood worm. I plan to feed it when the lights are off. Can I just drop the frozen cube into the tank or is there a better way to introduce it to the tank?

[Alyxx]

Thaw the cube out in a cup of tank water first. Eating food that is still frozen is not good for your fish. You can either squirt the worms in front of the fish with a turkey blaster or just drop them in. For just the knife, I would try to break off a small piece to defrost each time and try and get the worms close to the fish, to prevent over feeding and polluting the tank. Or you can defrost a whole cube and keep leftovers in the fridge for a day or so. Although when I do that, it wields everyone else in the house out a little, haha. Oh well... Fish gotta eat. You could also try hand feeding, that's always fun!

[redsea]

Welcome to Aquarium Advice!

[oneteaspoon]

My fish don't seem to like the tropical fish flakes I gave them, what are my other options to feed them on a regular basis, can I feed the frozen blood worm on a regular basis? I gave it to them last night and just tipped it into the water, the filter to it around the tank, I turned the lights off and I could see my ghost knife swimming around eating & most of the worms were gone in the morning. Is it a case of if the fish is hungry they will eat? I hvnt seen my cat fish eat yet.

Still trying to get my pH down, would that be worrying either of them?

[oneteaspoon]

Can I ask, my fish look lonely, all day they just lay on the gravel and do nothing, but in the morning when i turn on the lights all the food is gone. all my numbers are 0 and I for my pH to 7.7, is it ok for me to buy another (or 2) catfish & a beta fighter ?

[Alyxx]

I wouldn't recommend a betta with something like a ghost knife. The flows bottom fin seems like a magnet for betta aggression. If you were to add anything, I would do a small, non-nippy fish that will leave the ghost knife alone. Preferably a top dwelling fish. How big is your tank again?

[Mumma.of.two]

Welcome!
I would not add any more fish to your tank. The knife by itself over stocks it.
How long has the tank been set up?
Do some research on your two fish. BGK are nocturnal and BNP needs wood to gnaw on. The BNP will eat some flakes but the BGK will not. Please look up their dietary requirements.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articl...ium/Page1.html

[jetajockey]

Welcome to the forum, good advice given above. I have a bgk in my 125, he hides a lot but is fun to watch.

[oneteaspoon]

Thank you all soo much for your advise.

- the only reason I was thinking of a beta is because the aquarium I purchased the BHK from had a beta in with 30 BGK and he looked happy.

- my tank is 100L

- could you recommend any top swimmers, would like medium
Size but any will do

- could I get another BGK? Or another 1 or 2 BKC?

- unfortunately no matter how long I researched setting up a tank I was talked into by the aquarium to set up & add fish straight away. My filter has the media in it and I am testing the water daily of not more to catch any changes in the water.

[Alyxx]

With only 100L I wouldn't add anything, and definitely upgrade soon. For some reason I thought I remembered you having something like 50 gallons, but you have half that... Mumma is right, the tank is overstocked as it is now. Also, the stocking at the LFS is not usually a good example of proper stocking. However, if you want to see more of your knife you could add a large piece of clear tubing for him to hide in. It will make him more comfortable but you will still be able to see him. And your tank hasn't finished cycling? Keep a good eye on him, I don't think ghost knifes are good fish to cycle with since they are scaleless. Scaleless fish are usually more sensitive to water parameters.